Bank employee Mick joined up as a volunteer with the Australian armed forces on 21st August 1914. He was promoted to lieutenant at the beginning of the Battle of Arras. During the Second Battle of Bullecourt from 3rd May to 16th May 1917, his battalion's objective was to capture an underground shelter, a machine gun position and an enemy trench, all located between Bullecourt and Riencourt-lez-Cagnicourt. During the assault which was launched on 12th May, he was wounded no fewer than four times, but held fast with his men until the captured trench was consolidated and made secure. For this act of bravery, Mick was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest British distinction, which was presented to him in person by George V in London.

On 11th April 1917, in support of the offensive launched outside Arras two days previously, the commander of the British Fifth Army, General Gough, ordered an attack between Quéant and Bullecourt, a stronghold in the German defensive system known as the Hindenburg Line. Without artillery support, 12 tanks were to open a passage for the 4th Australian Division and the 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division but the tanks deployed were quickly put out of action. So the infantry soldiers came up against German defences that were virtually intact, and were forced to fall back.

The following month, on 3rd May a second attack was ordered. The 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division went into battle once more alongside the 2nd Australian Division which refused the deployment of any tanks. Despite artillery support and reinforcements in the form of the 1st and 5th Australian Divisions, the Second Battle of Bullecourt proved to be a tragic repetition of the first. The Australians took control of the village, but suffered a further 7,000 losses.

In total, almost 10,000 men of the Australian Imperial Force were killed or wounded during the two battles of Bullecourt.

In 1993, a statue of an Australian solider nicknamed the “Digger”, was inaugurated in the Australian Memorial Park of Bullecourt to honour the commitment of those Australian forces. The work of sculptor Peter Corlett, who also created the Cobber at Fromelles, this soldier is wearing symbols of the Australian forces: a slouch hat bearing the Rising Sun badge.